BMW 328i Complaints (2011)

580 consumer complaints on file.

#11448649January 24, 2022
AIR BAGS, AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
The airbag light and seatbelt light came on randomly. The airbag sensor is off, and the “passenger airbag off” light is illuminated even when there’s somebody sitting in the car. This is a major safety issue, as the vehicle doesn’t recognize when somebody is sitting in the passenger seat and wont deploy airbags when there’s a wreck.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447048January 11, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
Car spontaneously caught fire
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11446705January 8, 2022
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle keeps stalling on the highways and on the streets. We have taken the car in and have towed the car in to the bmw dealership costing us hundreds of dollars on what they think the problem is and it does not fix the issue. They perform a diagnosis and can’t find an issue but the car keeps stalling. The car first starting stalling last year around February.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11445896January 2, 2022
ENGINE
While I was driving approximately 35 mph the vehicle shut off. Then a check engine light came on. When a code reader was placed on the vehicle a code p0335 for the crankshaft position sensor. Thankfully I was able to coast the car safely to the shoulder of the roadway. Had I been on an interstate highway who knows what the outcome would have been.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11444443December 20, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The positive battery terminal connection on the thickest cable in the trunk of the car (this wire leads from the battery in the trunk to the fuse box behind the glove box of the car) was loose due to either natural loosening over time (i.e. loss of torque on the fastener) or improperly applied torque by various BMW service shops (battery was changed by independent BMW service shop in 2018 and checked by BMW dealership in 2019 to be in good health). The loose connection at the battery terminal on this wire caused the car to suddenly turn off while driving on the road. Once turned off, there was zero electrical response from the car (e.g. engine turned off, no headlights, no hazard lights, no power steering, no capability to restart the car, airbags likely would not deploy if car crashed, etc.). The car could only be controlled by coasting on its remaining inertia, slowed down using residual braking power (which disappears after applying the breaks 2-5 times due to loss of hydraulic pressure), and forcefully steering the car (since there’s no power steering). This is an INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS situation that could cause loss of life due to complete loss of control of car. Both the battery and alternator were in good health. Only the battery terminal connection was loose, leading to a single point failure of the ENTIRE electrical system of the car and the car itself. There is NO redundancy in the electrical system; even if the alternator is running fine, the loose battery connection will kill the car. Furthermore, once car is stopped and safely secured, it is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to open the trunk to access the battery as there is no way to access the trunk manually via key. I had to apply a 12V source to the large red wire at the fuse box to power on the car, enabling me to open the trunk. This requires removing cupholders, glove box, various trim panels, etc. to access the fuse box. Absolutely terrible design.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11442952December 7, 2021
ENGINE
Engine Compartment Suddenly Caught Fire and Came into the Vehicle Cabin of my 2011 328i E90 BMW on 12/04/2021 at 10:04 AM PST in the city of Garden Grove, CA. Emergency first responder Captian Rick King of the Garden Grove Fire Department conducted an initial investigation of the cause of the fire due to a defective fuel pump. BMW North America LLC should be held accountable for this accident as it could have cause serious injury or death.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11442474December 2, 2021
ENGINE
Vehicle stalled with no power while driving highway speed. Engine is locked up and needs to be replaced
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11438089October 25, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
The 4 vanos bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit broke and fell into my oil pan. This has caused oil to leak onto and break the eccentric shaft sensor. This has caused my vehicles engine to loose power. Had this occurred at a faster speed, it could have harmed myself and others on the road. My engines light came on just a few miles before my cars engine had weakened power. I pulled off the road to safety. I had my bmw towed and it is currently at the dealership with an estimated quote of $4963.91 to fix. I’ve had my bmw for less than two years. It’s had one previous owner and no accidents. It only has 64,984 miles. According to the U.S Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, the average highway miles driven per year in 2019 were 14,263. If this is accurate, my vehicle would have roughly 142,000 miles for a 10 year old bmw. My car has less than half of this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427903August 5, 2021
ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328i. The contact stated that after driving, the vehicle failed to restart without warning. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was diagnosed that the camshaft housing bolts had sheared off. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repairs were not covered under the warranty. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA campaign number: 14V176000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11425641July 20, 2021
POWER TRAIN
Vanos System Camshaft gear Bolts sheared causing loss of power in the freeway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11425477July 19, 2021
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2011 BMW 328i. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, he heard an abnormal grinding sound coming from the engine before the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The service engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the roadway and restarted the vehicle and continued driving his residence. The contact stated upon checking the engine, he noticed that the vanos bolts had fractured and were missing from the engine. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the Vin was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V176000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the Vin was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11423042July 1, 2021
AIR BAGS, SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My driver and passenger airbags deployed because my car all of the sudden lurched forward on it's own and I bumped the car in front of me and when it happened my car started accelerating and revving all on it's own into the car ahead and I was trying to make it stop by pushing the brakes but the brake pedal wouldnt move it was hard and wouldnt move so my car kept accelerating bumping the car in front of me over and over and I was stomping down on the brake pedal to make it stop but it wouldnt. After about 30 seconds of this it just stopped. The airbags were blowing out very hot air that burned and bruised my left arm very badley and myself and my minor passenger were choking from it. My driver side window and windshield were both broken from the explosion of the airbags but the body of my car wasn't damaged. I had noticed that sometimes the display in my car wouldnt show all the car controls but never imagined the car would malfunction like this. Now the repair shop wants the same amount of money that I initially paid for the car to repair it and my insurance is not covering it. Please help because this was not my fault the car malfunctioned.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11421508June 19, 2021
ENGINE
It seems that the Bolts holding the Vanos unit intact have come loose or sheared and cause a loud high pitch squealing along with a higher volume in oil loss and this has also cause a seal of some sort or go bad and excess oil burning. Also, the car has a loud tick in the engine now. My vin number is not accepted u der the recall list but my cars make model and year for the credentials along with the problems that the engine continues to have. I would Appreciate it if the company adds this car and it’s vin to the list of recall so i can Have it properly fixed
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11420469June 10, 2021
AIR BAGS
My son was injured by the impact of an accident on May 30th, 2021. He was driving when a car sped past him, lost control, slammed into the center median guardrail, then into the drivers side door of my sons car. The impact was strong enough to dent and puncture a large hole in the door, yet the side impact air bags did not deploy. Nor did any other air bag. we still currently have the vehicle.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11408672April 18, 2021
ENGINE
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE, ENGINE KNOCKING, VANOS BOLT FAILURE
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11405441March 29, 2021
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL, TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 BMW 328I. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE TURN SIGNAL FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER - BMW OF PALM SPRINGS (3737 EAST PALM CANYON DR, PALM SPRINGS, CA 92264, (760) 699-2500) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,782.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11403359March 16, 2021
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
MY ISSUE IS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN RECALL CAMPAIGN 14V-176, ALSO LISTED AS SI B11 07 14. IT IS A FAULTY VANOS UNIT WITH FAILING BOLTS. MY CAR'S MODEL AND YEAR ARE LISTED IN BOTH OF THESE DOCUMENTS, HOWEVER MY SPECIFIC VIN IS NOT LISTED AS PART OF THE RECALL. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY DAMAGED DUE TO THE VANOS BOLTS SHEARING OFF COMPLETELY AND FALLING INTO THE OIL PAN, AS DESCRIBED EXACTLY IN THE ABOVE RECALL NOTICES. THIS IS THE DIAGNOSIS FROM BMW OF SEATTLE. IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT MY CAR SUFFERS THE SAME FAULTY PART AS LISTED AND SHOULD BE PART OF THE RECALL. I BELIEVE IT IS IN ERROR THAT IT IS NOT. AS IT STANDS, BMW CANNOT HELP ME AND ARE FORCING ME TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN TELLS ME THAT MY VIN SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IT ISN'T, BUT BECAUSE IT ISN'T THEY WILL NOT FIX THE ISSUE UNDER THE RECALL. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. PLEASE CORRECT THE DOCUMENTATION TO INCLUDE MY VEHICLE, WHICH MATCHES THE LISTED VEHICLES IN THE VANOS RECALL PAPERWORK. THANK YOU.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11399568March 7, 2021
AIR BAGS, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
[XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11394331February 2, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES
I HAVE HAD SEVEN (7) ABS WHEEL SPEED SENSORS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT (EVERY WHEEL AT LEAST ONCE, THE RIGHT FRONT TWICE, AND THE LEFT FRONT THREE TIMES) SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN 2011. IT CURRENTLY HAS RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE (<41,000 MILES); THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED IN JANUARY 2014 AT ABOUT 12, 700 MILES. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE AN ABS WHEEL SENSOR ON ANY OF THE NUMEROUS OTHER CARS WITH ABS THAT I HAVE OWNED SINCE 1989. THE LOSS OF ABS FUNCTION CREATES AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. WHEN THE SENSOR FAILS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, ABS LIGHT, AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ALL COME ON - INTERMITTENTLY INITIALLY, BUT SOON LIT AT ALL TIMES. THE FAILURES OCCURRED IN 2014, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2017, AND 2020.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11390492January 28, 2021
ENGINE
CYLINDER HEAD BOLT DETACHMENT FROM FACTORY PRODUCTION CAUSING MASSIVE OIL LEAK ON ENGINE BLOCK. MY VEHICLE RAPIDLY LOST 1 QUART OF OIL IN 2.1 MILES OF DRIVING. WHEN I TOOK IT TO A CERTIFIED BMW SERVICE CENTER, THEY FOUND THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD BOLT WAS COMPLETE SEVERED FROM THE BOLT STEM CAUSING OIL TO SPRAY OUT OF THE ENGINE. THIS DETACHMENT CAUSED OIL TO SPRAY OUT OF THE ENGINE, RAPIDLY DEPLETING OIL FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS OIL SPRAYED RAPIDLY ONTO THE ALTERNATOR, BELT AND OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE ENGINE BAY. THE CERTIFIED BMW MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS ISSUE IS SEEN FREQUENTLY WITH BMW FROM THE FACTORY PRODUCTION METHODS AND TORQUE SPECS IN FACTORY PRODUCTION PROCESS. THE CYLINDER HEAD BOLT BECOMES SEVERED FROM THE BOLT STEM/THREADED PORTION OF THE BOLT (SEE PICTURES INCLUDED). ACCORDING TO CERTIFIED BMW MECHANIC, THIS BOLT WOULD ONLY BE MANIPULATED DURING FACTORY PRODUCTION. I WAS ABLE TO CATCH THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE OIL DRAINED COMPLETED OUT OF MY VEHICLE OR BEFORE THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE BAY BECAUSE OF OIL SPRAYING. I AM CONCERNED THAT A MAJOR ENGINE COMPONENT ON MY VEHICLE FAILED. THIS FAILURE POSES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY AND QUALITY ISSUE. THIS IS A PART INTEGRITY/QUALITY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY BMW IMMEDIATELY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to BMW 328i